


Untitled (51)

by TenRoseForeverandever



Series: Drabbles of the Doctor and His Rose [51]
Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Angst, Drabble Collection, F/M, Post-Episode: s04e13 Journey's End, Rose and the Doctor being frustrating, Rose is traveling with the Doctor; no Tentoo
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-05
Updated: 2017-03-05
Packaged: 2018-09-28 09:37:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 603
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10087547
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TenRoseForeverandever/pseuds/TenRoseForeverandever
Summary: A six verse drabble set after Journey’s End. Rose is back travelling with the Doctor (no Tentoo in this imagining,) but when she sees the Doctor give an accomplished princess a hug, she isn’t certain she’s made the right decision in leaving Pete’s World.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the drabble prompt from TimePetalsPrompts over on Tumblr: green.

Arms folded across her chest, Rose watched the Prindurian princess lean across the TARDIS console, flashing the Doctor a bright grin, and spouting a string of technical gibberish.

“Of course!” the Doctor exclaimed, leaping to join her at the monitor. “By modifying the super-hyperbolic interchange regulator to offset the… _blah, blah, blah_ …”

Rose understood only a fraction of the scientific language spilling from their lips, but she sure as hell recognized their body language as they met in a celebratory embrace, then pulled back to gaze with exhilaration into one another’s eyes.

Heart aching and feeling forlorn, she walked away.

\--oOo--

“Rose? You in here? Ah, there you are! Been looking all over for you. You wandered off.”

Rose turned her back to him, refusing to let him see her tears.

“The TARDIS is good as new… weeell, better than, actually.”

“S’good. What about the princess?”

“Oh, weeell, she’s gone home. Couldn’t come along. Shame, really. It’s not every day I get to meet another expert in temporal physics and quantum mechanics.”

“Yeah, real shame.” Rose oozed sarcasm.

“Rose? You all right?” He sat down beside her.

“I’m fine,” she grumbled.

“Rose…” a little smirk bowed his lips, “are you jealous?”

\--oOo--

Rose rolled her eyes.

His smile widened. “You are! You’re jealous! My very own green-eyed monster. And here I thought I was travelling with a human.” 

He picked up her hand, but she snatched it back, hurt and mortification tearing at her heart.

“C’mon, love.” His expression softened. “We’re all ready to go. Anywhere in space and time you like: a beach; a spa; shopping.”

“Oh, sure,” Rose lashed out, “all the places a chav like me might like, yeah? Wouldn’t want to strain the stupid ape’s brain.”

The Doctor’s face crumpled. “I just thought you could use a holiday.”

\--oOo--

“You _hugged_ her!” Rose sobbed.

He frowned. “Rose, I hug lots of people. One of the quirks of this regeneration.”

“Not like _that_! That was _our_ hug… our _‘we defeated the monsters’_ hug.”

“Oh… sorry. But really, it was just a typical celebratory hug. It didn’t mean anything.”

She averted her eyes. “Those hugs always meant somethin’ to me. Made me feel special. Were one of the things… when I was tryin’ to get back to you… I thought it meant you... Never mind. Guess I was wrong. I shoulda gone back to the other universe with Mum.”

“What? No!”

\--oOo--

He leaped to his feet.  “I’ll have you know, Rose Tyler, that you and I have _always_ hugged _much_ more than was strictly necessary. Certainly _not_ just when we saved the day! And those hugs… weeell…”

Rose snuffled back fresh tears. “Yeah, right.” Despondent, she shook her head. “Guess you’re stuck with me… a stupid chav.”

He knelt before her, tipping her chin. She reluctantly raised her eyes to his.

“Rose, you are nothing short of brilliant! Look what you did? You saved… the multiverse!”

“But I’ll never be able to discuss temporal physics with you… not properly.”

\--oOo--

“Listen to me, precious girl. You may not have encyclopaedic knowledge, or eidetic memory, but you’re my superior in _every_ other way. You make _me_ better.”

Rose fought a smile. “Yeah?”

“Yes! And, I’m _not_ stuck. Wherever you are is where I’ll always want to be.”

Tears flowed over Rose’s cheeks. “Can I have one of those hugs now?”

“Oh, yes!” He enfolded her in his embrace, hearts thrumming against her cheek. “And it’s time I did better than that, love…” Leaning in, his lips melted against hers, and Rose finally understood: he was her home, and she was his.


End file.
